Samoa® Crunch Brownies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously spray an 8x8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. (Prep time: 5 minutes)

In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, and baking soda. Pour in the melted butter and mix until well combined. Set aside 1/3 of the oat mixture in a separate bowl. Roughly chop the Samoa® cookies and stir them into the reserved oat mixture for the topping. Press the remaining oat mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan to form the base. (Prep time: 10 minutes)

Bake the oatmeal base in the preheated oven until it's set, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes while you prepare the brownie batter. (Bake time: 10 minutes, Cool time: 5 minutes)

In a heavy 1 1/2-quart saucepan over low heat, melt the 1/2 cup of unsalted butter and half of the chopped dark chocolate. Stir continuously until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm. (Prep time: 7 minutes)

Once the chocolate mixture has cooled slightly, stir in the light brown sugar and vanilla extract until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the mixture is glossy and smooth. (Prep time: 5 minutes)

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, stirring until just combined. Stir in the remaining chopped dark chocolate. Spread the brownie batter evenly over the baked oatmeal base. Sprinkle the reserved Samoa® cookie topping over the brownie batter. (Prep time: 10 minutes)

Bake in the preheated oven until the center is set and the topping has turned golden brown, approximately 25 to 28 minutes. Be careful not to overbake for the best fudgy texture. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars. (Bake time: 25-28 minutes, Cool time: 2 hours)